Silence in the Mist
by Half Baked Destruction
Summary: We all have to deal with our inner demons at one point or another, and it seems that Natsuki's are finally surfacing. Will Natsuki be able to solve the mysteries behind her strange episodes? ShizXNat pairing.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai-HiME.

**A/N:** Hello again. I don't honestly know what it is, but lately I've been having quite a bit of ideas for some fics. I know I've still got some other fics to finish, but they can wait. Also, to the readers of "Endless Darkness", I'm am sorry to inform you that I might be cancelling the story. I feel that I screwed up somewhere along the lines and now… it just feels empty to me. Give me some feedback if I should cancel it or not. Anyway, I decided that I would go ahead and start a new fic. I hope you enjoy this one.

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Silence in the Mist

Chapter 01 - Dreams

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The air was damp as well as it was cold. Mist cascaded across the grounds, making it hard to see. The full moon was pale as death; light shimmered through the dead leafs of many trees. The atmosphere was so still, it would make most people sick.

Walking down a small road in the park, a woman took a deep breathe as she tightened her scarf. It was unnaturally cold this disturbing evening. Putting her hands back in her dark blue, heavy set jacket, the woman continued down the road.

It was so silent, she could hear her own footsteps. The woman had no knowledge of her destination, she just knew she must arrive. The wind picked up overhead, causing the leaves in the surrounding trees to rustle.

The cobalt headed woman stopped in her tracks, she could of sworn she heard someone's voice. "Who's there?" Natsuki asked as she turned left and right, searching for the mysterious person.

"_Come… here…_" It was like someone, or something, was luring her to it's location. "_Natsuki…_" The voice softly said as it silently echoed into the distance.

Natsuki turned around and saw a road forking off from the one she was on. "What the… That was never there before." Natsuki said to herself. "_Naaatsuuuki…_" The voice softly said once more. Natsuki wanted to ignore it, but it felt like she was being pulled towards the voice.

Natsuki began her journey up the road. The rustling of the leaves ceased. The woman heard an owl 'hooing' in the distant trees. It felt very eerie.

Leafs covered the road as did the fog. Natsuki wrapped her arms around herself as she began to shiver. There was no wind chill, yet she felt extraordinarily cold.

Natsuki halted in her tracks as she came to the front of a giant mansion. "What…? Why is this here?" Natsuki questioned.

The wind picked up, causing an eerie chill to go up Natsuki's spine. The moonlight spread across the gigantic refuge making it give off a creepy look. The front side of the mansion seemed to have over thirty-two windows. The front patio seemed well proportioned as well.

Natsuki walked up the creaky wood planks towards the wooden door with an oval shaped window in the center. Strangely, it looked as though this mansion was over one-hundred years old. Natsuki found it strange for she always took this road when she decided to go for a stroll.

"_Naatsuuki…_" The voice sounded off once more, only this time, it was much more quite, ad much more frail. The door slowly crept open. Natsuki peered inside, but it was almost to dark to see your hand in front of your face. The only light that was shed in room was moonlight that leaked through the holds in the curtains on the windows.

Natsuki reached into her pocket and pulled out a Zippo lighter, flipped it open, then struck it. A bright orange flash cascaded an yellow glow across the room, and a small light was born.

The fire from the light flickered as Natsuki progressed deeper into the strange mansion. The light barely filled the room. Natsuki could tell that it was pretty large. From what she could see, there were two arch like pathways, one on her left, and the other on her right. In front of her rested a high staircase. The woman looked down and noticed that she was standing on a quite impressive looking marble floor.

"_Naatsuuki…_" The soft spoken voice beckoned again, this time, it sounded from behind her. Natsuki quickly did a one-eighty and prepared herself for anything. There was no one there.

"Heh…" Natsuki chuckled as she began to become freaked out. "He-… Hello? Is someone there?" The woman hesitantly asked. "_Up here, Naaatsuuki…_"

Natsuki turned towards the staircase. The wood of the staircase seemed to be old and brittle. It's texture was worn, as well as it's color. Natsuki approached the staircase and set her left foot on the first step and extended her right arm that contained the light.

The woman made her way up the staircase that seemed like it went on forever. After she reached the second floor, she heard a light breathing noise to her right.

Natsuki turned her head and saw a hallway a few feet away from her. The woman began to walk down it, as well as admire the architecture of the walls. The were white with quite a bit of décor on them. Every ten feet, there would be a pillar like molding jetting out from the wall.

The floor was marble as well, only if had a long red carpet in the center of it. There were many paintings on both walls. Natsuki looked as she walked down the long hallway and saw no doors, only strange looking paintings.

After awhile, Natsuki stopped dead in her tracks. "What the hell?…" Her eyes were widened. Before her was a man that was strung up with barbwire. His skin seemed to be torn off the torso of his body. His face had a horrid expression on it, like this all happened while he was still breathing.

The blood on the floor seemed quite old. Apparently, this never happened anytime soon. "Who… or what, did this?" Natsuki's body began to quiver a little. Just then, she heard music. It sounded like an old music box.

The woman shifted her attention to her right where music was coming from. There was a small hallway that seemed like it just appeared. The strange thing was, it was very different from the hallway she was already in. The walls were covered in rust, and all of the décor seemed damaged by age.

Natsuki slowly made her way down the hallway as she continued to follow the music. On the walls were paintings, very disturbing paintings. Like someone was painting the scene of some torture event.

One of them caught her eye. Natsuki looked over and saw a painting of a tombstone. The woman took a closer look and noticed the name etched into it. Her jaw dropped slightly and her eyes widened. "N- No…. What the hell is this?" Natsuki began to back away.

The tombstone read "Kuga, Natsuki". Natsuki was halted as she came in contact with something. It felt like a person. "Natsuki" The voice was heard again behind. Hesitantly, she peered over her shoulder. "Shizuru?" Natsuki exhaled and closed her eyes. "Oh thank god… For a minute there-…" Natsuki turned to face the woman and opened her eyes.

The woman stood in shock. Shizuru's eyes had been ripped clean out of her head. Blood streamed down her cheeks. There was also a gapping hole where her heart should be. "Join us Natsuki. _**It's not all that bad**_." Shizuru's hands reached out towards Natsuki.

The only thing the cobalt headed woman could do was stand there, shocked. "NOOOO!!!"

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A loud scream was heard in a small, dark bedroom of an apartment. Natsuki flung herself upward, tangled in her sheets as she screamed at the top of her lungs.

The body laying next to the woman quickly shot up, revealing chestnut colored hair and groggy crimson eyes. Natsuki collapsed her face into the palms of her hand as she rest her elbows on her legs. The woman was panting in between sobs; her face was covered in sweat.

"Natsuki! What's wrong?" Shizuru rested her hand on Natsuki's shoulder. Natsuki quickly looked over and saw Shizuru's figure. "Get away from me!" Natsuki tried shoving the woman away, then fell onto the cold floor. The cobalt headed woman quickly staggered towards the other end of the room.

Shizuru reached over to the nightstand of their bed and turned a lamp on. Natsuki was curled up in a corner of their room. Shizuru quickly got out of bed and rushed over to Natsuki. The woman knelt down a rest her hands on Natsuki's shoulders. "Natsuki, calm down. What's wrong?" Shizuru asked with concern.

"No… Please. No more…" Natsuki said with a shaky voice. Her arms around her body and rocked back and forth. Natsuki also shut her eyes as tight as she possibly could.

Shizuru quickly cradled her loved one. The woman gently stroked her hand down Natsuki's hair. "Shhh… It's all right." Natsuki just continued sobbing.

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"This is the sixth time now…" Shizuru said as she picked up her cup of coffee from the table. "That's horrible. How is she doing now?" An orange headed girl asked. "It's really getting to her. It feels like she's becoming very distant everyday, Mai-han." Shizuru took a sip of her coffee then set it back down on the table.

Shizuru decided to go to Mai's place and discuss Natsuki's predicament. It was early in the morning, around nine o' clock. They sat at the dining room table. The room was brightened by the sunlight that came through the windows in the living room which connected to the kitchen.

It's been over seven years since the HiME carnival, and it seems that everyone has gotten on with their lives. Mai and Tate, got married and moved into a nice cozy place at the southern end of Fuuka city. Tate was an accountant at one of Fuuka's biggest banks. Mai was currently working as a part=time nurse until she could find a more suitable job.

"So, do you have any idea how all of this started?" Mai asked as she picked her mug up and took a sip. Shizuru shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure. One night, Natsuki just started screaming, and from their, it continued. These nightmares are taking a toll on both of us. I just can't stand to see her like that…" Shizuru looked down at her mug and watched the white steam rise off the top of her black coffee.

"Have you considered a therapy. Maybe she's having some sort of emotional problem." Mai said as she looked at the other woman. Shizuru just shook her head once more. "I've pried most everything I could possibly get out of Natsuki. I don't think there is anything else I don't know about her past." Shizuru said and took another sip of her coffee.

Shizuru heard footsteps and turned to meet a familiar figure. "Ah. Took you long enough." Mai said with an irritated tone. "Oh, good morning, Tate-han." Shizuru said with a warm smile.

"Oh, Shizuru. Good morning." Tate said as he rushed to get his shoes on. "Damn it all! I'm going to be late again!"

"I told you to make sure you set the alarm." Mai said and let out a light sigh. "Hey, the least you could have done was wake me!" Tate retaliated. "Hey, It's not my fault you stay up so late with those video games. Trying to wake you out of that coma is like giving a drowning kid a glass of water." Mai retorted.

"Hey! Leave my hobbies out of this. You don't see me complaining about your cook wear collecting." Tate retaliated against the orange haired woman. "Yeah, but I don't risk my job over them."

"My, my. Seems you two never change." Shizuru let out a giggle. Tate just sighed and finished tying his shoes, then he rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a few muffins off of a plate on the counter next to the oven.

"See you later" Tate said, then leaned down and gave Mai a quick kiss. "Oh, don't forget. We're meeting up with Takumi and Akira for dinner later." Mai said as she watched her husband walk out of the front door. Both woman heard the man give a loud groan on the other side of the door and chuckled.

Shizuru just looked back over at her coffee mug. The air lingered with an uneasy silence. The clearing of Mai's throat then broke the uneasy silence. "Well, maybe you should just get her an appointment with a therapist just in case. You don't want this getting to out of hand." Mai said, wrapping both her hands around her mug.

Shizuru didn't want to force Natsuki to do anything that she was uncomfortable with, but sadly, she saw no other solution. "Yeah, maybe."

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Natsuki laid on her couch as she stared up at her ceiling. Her forearm rested on her forehead. The sound of a clock ticking could be heard in the background. "What's happening to me?" The woman closed her eyes. "Every time… it's the same dream, yet each time there's a different ending."

The room was spinning in Natsuki's mind. The first time she had the dream, it was of her mother, yet it was still taking place in that same eerie place. Natsuki couldn't quite place her finger on it, but it almost felt like something was trying to force itself to the surface when she was having that dream.

"_All I remember… Was that damn music box…_" Natsuki thought as she tried to remember the events before her incidents.

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**A/N:** And BOOM! Cliffhanger! Well, I think I'll save some of the stuff for the next chapter. Well, tell me what you guys think. Is it juicy, or dry? I hope I put enough in this chapter to leave you guys interested. Anyway, please remember to drop me a review. Later.


	2. Chapter 2

-1

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai-HiME.

**A/N:** I would like to thank all of those who read and reviewed my story. I am glad that all of you enjoyed it. Hopefully you will find this chapter just as (or possibly more) enjoyable.

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Silence in the Mist

Chapter 02 - The beginning

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Shizuru made Natsuki promise that she would go with her to shop for a present for her grandmother's birthday. Both of the woman walked down a heavily crowded sidewalk in the heart of Fuuka city. It was around high noon, but if you were there, you honestly wouldn't be able to tell. The sky was clouded as a shroud of mist covered the city.

"So, where exactly are you hauling me, Shizuru?" Natsuki asked with an impatient tone. Natsuki honestly couldn't stand going gift shopping, especially in the heart of the bustling city. This time of the year was especially bad considering that Christmas was a couple weeks off. A lot of the stores were having huge sales that everyone just had to attend.

"Oh, Natsuki. It's not that bad. Just loosen up a little. We'll be done shortly." Shizuru replied as she looked over to her at at Natsuki. "That's fine, but it doesn't exactly answer my-" Natsuki was cut off as she noticed Shizuru stopped walking along with her. "Oi, Shizuru. What is it?" Natsuki questioned as she looked back towards her.

Shizuru appeared to be starring right at an antique shop. "Ara! Natsuki, look at all these beautiful pieces." Shizuru said as she eyeballed many of the tea sets that layed in one of the display windows. There was am old Japanese tea set along with all of the pieces to it, like a few small plates for finger foods. Then there was a silver tea set that looked to be imported from the UK.

There was another one, but it didn't seem very special. It looked to be standard ceramic tea set.

"Oi, Natsuki! Let's go look!" Shizuru said with a excited tone. "Oh, no! I'm not going 'tea-tool' shopping with you again. Not after what happened last time." Natsuki said waving her right hand back and forth in a denying fashion. "Oh, come on Natsuki. It wasn't that bad. Our account was only a few hundred yen under."

"Hundred? Try of a few ten-thousand. It took me forever to pay all of that off. And worst yet, you lost those sets in some 'unforeseen' accident." Natsuki crossed her arms over her chest and turned. "You can go, but I'm leaving."

Natsuki heard slight whimpering noises behind her and stopped. "All I wanted… Was to have a wonderful day out with you, _*sniff*_, but I guess that's a little to much to ask for."

Natsuki hated it when Shizuru resorted to this tactic. It always made her feel as though she just kicked an innocent puppy. Her right eyes twitched a little. "Alright! We can go. Just don't go splurging on anything expensive." Natsuki stated as she walked back towards Shizuru. "Ah. I knew my Natsuki would change her mind, and while we're here, we can get my grandmother a nice gift." Shizuru chuckled.

The ring of a bell was heard throughout a medium sized antique shop. Shizuru and Natsuki took a few steps into it. "Ah. It's even more beautiful then I imagined." Shizuru exclaimed as she gazed at the many tea sets off to their right. "Hmm. Should have figured." It seemed that Natsuki was on her own for Shizuru was shedding her affection onto the tea sets.

Natsuki walked down a small row of shelves down the middle of the shop. Each shelf had it's own particular set of antiques. On one shelf, there was old brass plates and pots. On another, there were pretty old looking vases.

Natsuki continued her trail until she stumbled upon a staircase. It laid at the back of the store which seemed a little to dark. Apparently, the store owner never considered in putting light in, so most of the light came from the outside through the big display windows in the front.

Natsuki was about to go back up to the front when she heard something mysterious coming from the bottom of the stairs. It sounded kind of like a scream. "What the hell?" Natsuki starred down the staircase. It was a little to dark to see clearly. Natsuki began to walk down the steps of the stairs.

Once she reached the middle of the staircase, she heard the scream once more. Now, the woman was determined as she began walked faster down the stairs. "_Someone must be in trouble._" The woman thought to herself.

The staircase seemed to go on forever. Soon, she started hearing strange clanking sounds, like metal knocking together.

Natsuki sighed a breathe of relief, for she finally made it down the steps. The room she was in appeared to be an extention of the shop. There were many table line up against the walls with random things scattered on them. In the center of the room, there were rows of shelves that contained flasks, urns and such.

Natsuki walked down the right side of the room, browsing through the many things that laid on the tables. Natsuki finally reached the end of the room. The woman failed to see anyone. The room was devoid of life. The woman just sighed. "Guess it must have been my imagination."

Natsuki started back towards the staircase until she began to hear music. It sounded like it was from a music box. The cobalt headed woman turned towards one of the tables that was against the back wall and saw a rusted box with withered décor. The music was coming from that box. It was small, roughly around seven by seven inches.

Natsuki walked over to the music box, picked it up and held it to her ear and closed her eyes. "This song… Why do I-" Natsuki was interrupted by another voice. "Find something you like, little missy?"

An old man stood a few feet behind the woman. He was a homely looking man. He wore glasses, a brown attire and a strange looking red scarf. His hands were safely tucked into his pant's pockets. "Oh, hello. I, um… I'm just browsing. I'm looking for a present for my spouses grandmother." Natsuki said as she placed the music box back onto the table.

"Hmm. Well, you won't find much down here. A lot of these things have yet to be cleaned up, you see." The old man said as he walked over next to Natsuki and picked up a dirty looking pendant with his right hand.

"Oh. I'm sorry. Where are my manners." The old man said and turned to Natsuki. "My name is Hiro, Hiro Yamanaka. I am the owner of this shop, you see?" Yamanaka asked, then placed the pendant back down onto the table.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Kuga Natsuki." Natsuki said as she bowed her head slightly, then raised it. "I have a quick question. Is there anyone else down here by any chance? I heard someone screaming, so I-" Natsuki was once again cut off by the old man, this time, by is histeric laughter.

"So, you heard that, hmm? I'm sorry. You see, I was merely in the back room shaping up one of my new pieces that just arrived the other day, and apparently, today is not my day." The old man took his left hand out of his pocket and showed it to Natsuki. It was wrapped tightly in bandages. "I never was really good with a hammer. That's usually my sons job." The man laughed once more.

Natsuki chuckled, then looked back down at the music box. "What is it? Do you see something you like?" Natsuki shook her head. "No, it's just… that music box. It sounded so familiar."

The old man chuckled once more. "Ah. This old thing. Yes, I got this months ago from some strange man. He never told me his name or anything. He just said that he no longer needed this thing, and so he passed it onto me for free." Yamanaka grunted. "I find it a little baffling that you would find the music familiar, considering the fact that this thing is broken."

Natsuki looked over at the man wit ha furrowed brow. "Broken? What are you talking about? I just heard it playing a few moments ago." Natsuki exclaimed. "Well, like I said, that seems a little to unbelievable. I've opened this thing up and many of the components are wither missing or broken, disabling it's ability to play." Yamanaka chuckled, then picked the music box up. "You see." Yamanaka twisted the keys that rested in the slot on the right of the box. After he finished twisting it, Natsuki froze. There was something very wrong, but Natsuki couldn't tell what it was.

Her vision focused on the Music box alone. The song was playing, ad everything around her seemed to stop. Then, something even worse began to happen. The pain on the walls began to peel right off as rust quickly replaced it. The soft carpet which Natsuki stood on slowly became brittle and flaky.

Natsuki heard screams in the distance, but could turn to see who was screaming. It sounded like a little girl and her vision began to blur. Then, Natsuki felt something warm and thick covering her hand. The woman raised them up to her face and her eyes widened to find that they were covered in blood. "No… Stop. Please, just stop…" Natsuki moved her lips, but no words came out.

"STOOOP!!!" Natsuki screamed as she forced herself backwards onto the floor. The woman clasped her hands on the sides of her. Sweat dripped down her face as she panted heavily. "Oh my! Kuga-san, are you alright." Yamanaka asked in deep concern as he dropped the music box on the floor then approached Natsuki in an attempt to assist her.

Natsuki quickly looked around the room and saw that everything was back to normal. The woman looked up and saw the old man looming over her; his hand extended to help here up.

"Are you alright?" Yamanaka asked with a concerned look on his face. "H- Hai… I'm fine. I just… need to go. Excuse me." The woman quickly got up and dashed for the staircase. Natsuki didn't know why, but she felt as though she was going to breakout into tears, she wanted to get out so badly.

Natsuki dashed up the staircase as fast as she could. As soon as she got to the first floor, she knocked into someone. "I'm sorry. Please, Excuse-" Natsuki looked over to find Shizuru laying on the ground rubbing her head. "Shizuru!" Natsuki kelt down to help the other woman up. "Are you all right?" Natsuki asked the older woman.

"Me? I should be asking you that. What were you screaming for? As soon as I heard you, I came rushing over to find you." Shizuru stated as she got up to her feet. "Oh. That was…" Natsuki felt that she shouldn't be telling Shizuru about it, in fear she might seem crazy.

"It was nothing. I just saw a mouse down there, that's all." Natsuki said as she wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Are you sure? You look all pale and sweaty. Do you have a fever?" Shizuru reached up and felt Natsuki's forehead. "No, I'm fine. Besides, it really doesn't matter now anyway…" Natsuki chuckled as she looked to the ground. The woman didn't even want to remember what just happened down in that room.

"Oi, Fujino! You gonna pay for these or not?" The voice of a familiar redhead reached the ears of both the women. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, Natsuki…" Shizuru looked over to Natsuki and smiled.

"N- Nao! What are you doing here?" Natsuki questioned as she walked up to the front counter. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that I'm trying to pay off my tuition for college." Nao said as she fiddled around with a necklace that hung gracefully from her neck.

Nao had changed quite a bit, on the outside anyway. Her hair extended down to her back and she also had a couple hairpins holding up the locks of hair on the right side of her head. The woman was also wearing slim reading glasses that she was apparently using to read a magazine that laid on the counter. Nao was also wearing a pink tank top with a black skirt that reached down to her knees.

"You went to college? Heh, that's kind of surprising." Natsuki chuckled. "Yeah, well I guess it's no surprise to hear that you're working down in a gutter in that tacky little garage you call a repair shop." Nao retorted and laughed. "Hey! I actually enjoy my job of working on motorcycles! Lay off!" Natsuki punched the counter. "Like you have anything to brag about. You're just a lowly cashier." Natsuki grinned in victory.

"With good reason." Nao simply stated. "Mama!" A little redheaded girl came running in from the front door of the store. "Hey there." Nao walked out from behind the counter and wrapped her arms around the little girl; the woman hoisted the little girl up into her arms.

"Naomi, these are mama's old friends. Say hi." The little girl looked over at the two , blushed a little, then buried her face into her mother's shoulder. The child's hair was about the same length as Nao's hair was during the carnival. Her eyes were also green as her mothers. Nao just chuckled.

"Come on, why don't you go see grandpa Hiro. I know that he's been working on something especially for you." Nao gave a wink to her child. Naomi's face lit up like a Christmas tree on Christmas eve. Naomi then proceeded towards on of the doors on the other side of the shop.

"Nao… You?" Natsuki was shocked. "Yeah… she just turned five last week." Nao walked back behind the counter and sat in the bar stool set up right behind the counter. The redhead rest her elbows on the counter, clasped her hands together, then rested her chin on her hands.

"I… went a little overboard as some might say." Nao looked down at the counter. "My life was spiraling around me. I was just sixteen when I left the academy. I got mixed up with the wrong type of people, and that's when I met him. He was always so cold, so tough. He was the type of guy that would probably beat the crap out of you for just looking at him the wrong way, yet, for some reason, I fell in love with him."

Natsuki just stood there for she could not believe that Nao actually found someone like that. The woman was baffled.

"A few months later, I found out I was pregnant, and then, he was no where to be found. I was so scared. I left the academy, I had to work on my own to keep that shake of an apartment, and on top of that, I had a child on the way. I thought my life was over, well, I thought anyway. About six months afterwards, he showed up. At first, I hated him. He left me with everything on my shoulders. I despised him for doing that, but he wouldn't go away. Then, it just happened all over again. Three months later, little Naomi came into my world. At first, I was a little scared. Even though my husband came back, he was fighting just to hold down a job, but he assured me everything would be okay, and surprisingly, it was. He got accepted into a big business firm. Now he's pulling enough to keep us afloat as well as letting me go to college. Well, I also help pitch in by working here."

Nao got off of the bar stool and walked over to the other end of the counter. The woman tok a few Styrofoam cups and poured some coffee into each of them from the coffee maker that sat at the end of the counter. Nao put the cups on a small tray then walked back over to the other two and set it bacl down on the counter.

"Now then, where was I? Oh yeah. About three years later, a miracle accrued. My mother finally woke up." Nao gave a big smile, then took a sip from her cup of coffee. "Wow. How is she doing now, Nao?" Natsuki asked as she picked her cup of coffee up from the tray. "Well, she's fine, actually. She's working at that hospital as a nurse, now. It's amazing, really. After all of that, I thought my life would turn out to be a total bust, but now…" Nao watched as the steam rose from her coffee. "It's actually working out. Heh, I still remember the look on my mothers face when she saw Naomi." Nao laughed.

Shizuru reached over and picked her cup up off the tray, then took a sip. "So, Nao-han, how has everything been going for you lately?" Nao looked up at the ceiling and exhaled a deep breath. "Oh, well… Slow, I guess you could say. Kenji's been doing some heavy work at the office, and I'm stuck here, preparing to handle the holiday rush." Nao said as she put on a light smile.

"Kenji, huh? Definitely sounds like a street punk." Natsuki commented as sighed. "Seriously. I would have never predicted that you would actually fall for a guy. Especially since your so biased towards them."

"Natsuki! That's such a mean thing to say." Shizuru said and gave Natsuki a light shove. "No, she's right. I never actually pictured myself settling down. Well, not with a guy, and definitely not at THIS age." Nao lend down on the counter and sighed. "But… all I know is that I love him. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't stop thinking about him. Sure, his head is as thick as a rock, but…"

Nao just sighed once more and scratched her head. "Anyway, are you gonna buy these things or not?" Nao said looking over at the items on the one end of the counter. Natsuki looked over and say three tea set that looked quite expensive.

"Shizuru…" Natsuki looked over at her spouse. Shizuru just stuck her tongue out in a playful manner. "I'm sorry, Natsuki."

The entire conversation actually took Natsuki's mind off of the incident that took place before. Well, maybe not entirely. The sounds of a little girl screaming still rung out in her ears, as well as the music from that damned music box.

---+---+---

Natsuki stood in the shower. Her recollection of the entire incident was as clear as day, yet it still felt like she was missing a vital piece to the puzzle that she was trying to solve. "Why did I have that hallucination?" Natsuki asked herself. The woman rested her head against the blue tilled wall while the hot water soaked her down.

"These dreams… That place… Those images… That music… Why is this all happening now? Why did I have to go into that damned store in the first place!" Natsuki punch the wall of her shower, ultimately busting one of her knuckles as well as cracking one of the tiles.

All Natsuki knew was that something was missing. She didn't know what, or why, but she did know that she had to find out exactly what it was, or things could become even worse for her, and possibly, even for Shizuru.

---+---+---

Shizuru sat at the table in the dinning room of their apartment. The table and chairs were all antique wood pieces that her mother gave her when she graduated from Fuuka university. Shizuru held her cell phone to her ear, listening as it ringed. In front of her laid a card for a very special therapist.

One that was ideal for these very kinds of problems. Finally, someone on the other side of the line picked up. "Hello! Dr. Richfield's office. How my I help you?" A feminine yet grainy voice asked.

"Yes. My name is Fujino Shizuru. I… am in need of your services." Shizuru hesitantly said. "_Natsuki's going to kill me for this, that I am sure of._" The woman thought to herself.

---+---+---

**A/N:** And one more cliff for you guys to hang onto. Heh, reading over this, I feel I accomplished something. What, I have no clue, but definitely something. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please remember to drop me a review, and if possible, go ahead and try and guess what this story is really about, you know, to liven things up a little. Peace.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Mai-HiME.

**A/N:** *Looks at review board* Heh. I guess quite a bit of people enjoyed that last chapter. I'm sorry to sound like a greedy little brat, but come on guys. A little feedback would be greatly appreciated. I honestly don't care what it is. Friendly criticism, personal opinion, your grandmother's shoe size, anything! I would just like some recognition, that's all. On with the story!

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Silence in the Mist

Chapter 03 - Recollection pt.1

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Silence filled an lifeless apartment. The living room was a dim shade of blue as light from the cloud covered sun peered through the dark blue curtains that concealed the couple of windows inside of both the living room and dining room walls.

Shizuru sat at her wooden table, like a stone statue. The woman took a deep breathe, then exhaled as she laid her head into the palms of her hands; propping her elbows onto the table.

The chestnut haired woman was tired. Both she and Natsuki rarely got much sleep due to the nightmares that perspired every night.

The woman cocked her head back as she began to yawn. Covering her mouth, Shizuru then leaned back forward towards the table. On the table rested a phone and a card. On that card was a cartoon drawing of a man in a strait jacket. There were big, bold letter on it that read "Dr. Michael Richfield, Psy.D", and under it was a short line of numbers.

It was late in the afternoon, around four 'o clock. Shizuru looked over to the counter on her left and saw the assortment of dirty dishes that piled by the sink.

Neither of the woman have been able to get any of the chores done lately. They were either to tired to work or just to lazy to do anything. That was typical between the two. Shizuru remembered when they first moved in. They would lay around on the couch all day and watch reruns of their favorite shows.

Shizuru chuckled. "What's happening to you, Natsuki?" The woman thought as she leaned back in her chair. "What do you mean?" The woman heard a familiar voice coming from the hallway that connected to the back wall of the living room.

Shizuru situated herself upright and saw Natsuki drying her hair with a towel. The cobalt headed beauty wore a lime green shirt with multiple color splashes in the center of the front. There was blue, red, yellow and everything in between. The shirt was pretty large and it extended past Natsuki's thighs so Shizuru really couldn't tell what she was wearing around her waist, or if she was wearing anything at all.

"Oh, Natsuki. Your done with your shower already?" Shizuru asked. It was unlike the other girl to clean herself so quickly. She would normally take about an hour to finish a single shower. Two if she was bathing.

"So who were you talking to earlier?" Natsuki asked as she sat in the chair across from Shizuru. "Oh, you heard that?" Shizuru questioned as she furrowed her brow. "Yeah. Something about 'rapists', right?"

Shizuru chuckled. "_At least your density hasn't changed, my dear._" The woman thought as a weak smile crept upon her lips.

"Actually, Natsuki. Earlier today I went to go see Mai, and we had a bit of a talk." Shizuru crossed her arms over the table and straitened her face. "Oh yeah. About what?" Natsuki asked as she started fiddling around with a lock of hair the hung down from the towel that she wrapped around her head to help dry her hair.

"Well… It's more of a "whom", then a "what", Natsuki. We talked about your little episodes, and-…" Shizuru was cut off as Natsuki slammed her hand onto the table. "Damn it, Shizuru! I thought I told you not to go blabbing that to anyone, under any circumstance!" Natsuki hated it when Shizuru did things behind her back.

"These nightmares of yours are running us both down, Natsuki. Please, calm down and listen to what I have to say." Shizuru let out a pleading whimper. Natsuki just gave the girl a questionable look, then sighed. "Alright. What is it?" Natsuki asked as she sat back down in the wooden chair.

"Well, it's this." Shizuru slid the card that laid on the table over to Natsuki's position. "What's "this"? Natsuki asked as she picked the card up from it's place. Her calm expression quickly changed to an outraged one. "A therapist!? You… why… damn it all, Shizuru! You know how I feel about those know it alls! It's bad enough that I have to hear that crap come from Mai, but seriously!" Natsuki quickly got up from the chair and walked over into the living room.

"Natsuki, please. Try and consider the benefits. It would most definitely help with our problem." Shizuru said as she got out of the chair and approached the venting Natsuki. "Our problem? I don't see you waking up every night in a cold sweat after experiencing such horrid dreams." Natsuki plopped down onto a nearby sofa and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Really now, Natsuki. You sound like a spoiled child. Please, if not for yourself, then for me?" Shizuru clasped her hands together in a pleading manner.

Natsuki cracked open her right eye and witnessed one of Shizuru's saddest expressions. The cobalt headed woman sighed once more. "Alright, just stop pestering me about it. I'll go."

Shizuru clapped her hands a single time, then tilted her head to her right. "What wonderful acceptance, my Natsuki. Your first appointment is in the morning." Shizuru plopped down next to Natsuki who was sitting on their velvet couch.

Natsuki pouted, but she already knew that there was nothing she could do to get out of this particularly sour pickle.

---+---+---

_Natsuki's eyes fluttered as she began to awaken. The woman found herself in an endless abyss filled with mist. "What is this place?" Natsuki questioned as pushed herself off the ground and stood up strait._

_A slight whimpering was heard in the distance. "Who's there?" A cobalt headed girl asked as she gazed in every direction. The sound was coming from all around her._

"_Hello?" Natsuki began to walk forward into the blinding mist._

"_I didn't mean to… No." Natsuki heard in a light, feminine voice. "Is someone there?" Natsuki continued forward. Soon, she began to see a light. It was dim, yet she could feel quite a bit of warmth from it._

_The woman soon found herself in a dark room next to a desk. The floor of that room was made of wood. On that desk laid a lit candle. Natsuki watch the wax dribble down the sides of candle._

"_Why? Why did this-…" Natsuki heard the voice of a little girl beyond the desk. The woman walked around and found a blue haired girl with twin ponytails. The girl was wearing what looked to be a light pink gown._

"_Oi, are you okay?" Natsuki approached the girl. Then, she noticed a red puddle in front of the girl. Natsuki felt a ping in her chest. "What the…?" Natsuki slowly continued her approach towards the little girl._

"_I'm so sorry." Natsuki heard the little girl say as she continued her soft sobs. "Hey, are you alright? Did something happen?" Natsuki leaned down and rested her hand on the little girls right shoulder. Then, the girl her head around and gazed at Natsuki._

_The woman was stunned. She staggered backwards, knocking into the table and causing the candle to fall in front of her which revealed even more of the stunning scene._

_The girl was covered in blood as it trailed off into the darkness behind the little girl._

_Natsuki's heart was racing. The feeling of something forcing it's way out returned in a flash. "No! Stop it! I didn't mean to-…!" Natsuki began hearing a barrage of voices cluttering in her head._

_The woman fell to her knees as she tightly clasped the palms of her hands against her ears. Cringing the woman shook her head, trying to negate all the voices in her head._

"_Stop it! I didn't do it!" Natsuki fell on her side, curling into the fetal position. Then, the familiar sound of a music box rang through her head._

---+---+---

The rest of the day past and the couple found themselves in the cold clutches that is the night. Both the woman had set off for bed, one wearing a simple black t-shirt along with just her underwear, and the other with a lacy tan nightgown. Hours slowly past into the early morning hours.

Natsuki began to toss and turn in her sleep, as though something was causing her great distress. "N- no. Wai-…" Natsuki's legs became entangled in the light blue bed sheets the covered only half of her body. Her head slowly went from side to side in a distressed fashion.

Shizuru's eyes fluttered as she was met with a dim, dark blue light. The dim light from the Moon barely penetrated the dark curtains.

The chestnut haired woman twisted her head to her right and peered over her shoulder. It appeared as though Natsuki was having quite a fit. Shizuru picked up her weight, twisted her body to her right side, the rested back onto the mattress; her crimson eyes fixed on her blue haired goddess. "N-…" Natsuki seemed to be having one of her nightly fits, yet it seemed so different for some reason. Shizuru would normally wake to find Natsuki screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Natsuki?" Shizuru glided her hand across her pillow over to her girlfriends, then to the hand that rested on it. The woman gently grasped Natsuki's left hand. Her palm was sweaty, as well as cold.

"Oh my. Natsuki!?" Shizuru shot up and lend over her girlfriend. Natsuki's hand was freezing cold, which was strange considering the fact that they tried to keep it a comfortable seventy throughout the apartment.

"Natsuki! Wake up!" Shizuru began gently nudging the girl, to frantically shaking her. "Natsuki!" Shizuru began to panic for she though Natsuki was dieing.

Natsuki's eyelids began to slowly slid open. "Shi- Shizuru?" Natsuki said in a weak tone as she looked up at the other woman. "I'm right here." Shizuru took a deep breath to calm herself down. "I didn't do it, did I?"

Natsuki's question confused the other woman. "I, um… Y- you didn't do it, Natsuki." Shizuru said with a weak smile. Natsuki just smiled, then rested her head back on her pillow. Shizuru had no idea what Natsuki was talking about, but she felt as though she had to say something that would be comforting to the girl.

Soon, the warmth began to return to Natsuki and Shizuru laid back by her side. "_Natsuki, what is happening to you?_" Shizuru thought as she gazed upon her love.

---+---+---

"Now listen here. Don't go giving that nice man a hard time." Shizuru said as she wrapped her arms around Natsuki's upper torso. "What am I? Four? I can handle myself. Don't worry."

Both the woman stood in the living room of their apartment. It was around nine in the morning and Natsuki had to deal with her appointment with the "loony" doctor as she liked to describe them as. The woman wore a blue hoodie and black jeans. Not exactly the kind of clothes that Shizuru would find to be acceptable, but she knew that she couldn't change Natsuki's appearance by her own will.

"Now then, I think the sofa's waiting for you." Shizuru said teasingly as she watched Natsuki stroll down the hallway of their apartment complex, towards the elevator. Natsuki just made a snarling noise in response.

---+---+---

Over a half an hour of time passed before Natsuki finally made it to her destination. The woman stood at the base of a tall, yet slim brick building. The building looked even more enticing because of the Suns light.

Natsuki made her way to the building complex's main doors by walking along a dirty and cracked cement sidewalk. After making her way through the double doors, Natsuki walked up towards the main desk that laid in the center of the big lobby. The carpeting was grayish brown, which didn't really seem to fit with the theme of the room in Natsuki's opinion. The walls were painted a plain white, while the ceiling was made up of a bunch of lime stone tiles. "_Tacky much?_" Natsuki thought.

"May I help you?" A light feminine voice hit Natsuki's ears. The woman focused her gaze from the ceiling to the desk in front of her. There sat a girl with short brown hair and square red glasses. "_Wow. This lady's appearance reminds me way to much of Yukino._" Natsuki thought as she gazed at the woman.

"Well?" The woman asked. "Oh, right. Heh." Natsuki scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "Yes. I have an appointment with Dr.-" Natsuki tried to read the card that she pulled out of her pants pocket. It was in English, and she never really paid much attention in English class. "Erm, this guy." Natsuki put the card on the desk on slid it over to the other girl.

"Oh. You must be Kuga-san. Welcome. Doctor Michael Richfield is on the third floor, fourth door down the hall to your right." The brown haired woman gave Natsuki a nice warm smile. Natsuki returned the smile then walked over to the small row of elevators that were on the wall to her right.

After Natsuki rode the elevator to the third floor, she made her way down the hall to her right. Once she made it to the fourth door, she stopped in her tracks. "That music!" Natsuki busted through the door.

"Ah. You must be Kuga-san, no?" There sat a man on the other side of a wooden desk. He had short, strait blonde hair and brown eyes. He wore a slim set of glasses and a tan suit. The man was also holding a small music box in the palm of his hands.

The man his feet on the desk while screwing around with the relic that was a music box. "Are you Michael Richfield?" Natsuki asked as she approached the desk. "Possibly." The man simply replied. "Why don't you have a seat over there." He said as he pointed toward a long blue sofa.

Before Natsuki complied, she took a long look at the room she was in. It was practically barren. There were bookshelves with no books, vases with no flowers and walls with no paint. "What is all of this?" Natsuki asked and chuckled. "Did you just move in or something?"

"No. I like to have a very simplistic room. It keeps all the "busy body" thoughts at bay while I deal with the matters of others. Now then, would you please take a seat, or must I show you the way?" Michael said with a very impatient tone.

Natsuki became very irritated with the man and balled her hand into a tight fist. "Fine. Just don't go pissing me off, or we might have ourselves a problem." Natsuki said in a vicious tone. "Precisely." Michael said and walked over to the big brown leather chair that sat across from the sofa.

The chair made a stretching noise as Michael sat down in it. "So, where shall we begin?"

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**A/N:** And that's it for chapter three. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I was intending on adding a lot more to this chapter, but the lazy train hit me, sadly. But, a little anticipation is good to! Please remember to drop me a review and come back for the next chapter! Later!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Mai-HiME.

**A/N**: Well, I would like to give a great thanks to "lostinafeeling. You have made a really good point in your review. Now then, since I've gotten into the mood to start writing again, I went ahead and started a new story. Please, feel free to read it and tell me what you think. Anyway, I think it's about time we went ahead and started this little show.

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Silence in the Mist

Recollection pt.2

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Michael sat in his leather chair, tapping his right index finger to his chin while his elbow rested on the arm of the chair. The man thought over everything Natsuki had just told him.

"Well?" Natsuki asked as she leaned inward. Her expression was a mild and puzzled one. "Strange music, blood on the floor, and a small child."

Silence wafted over Natsuki; the woman began to shiver in anticipation. "Hmmm…" Michael closed his eyes, then drew in a deep breath. "A hallway, a dead body, predicted death."

Natsuki's eyes wondered around the room, searching for nothing in particular. He patients was wearing thin. Then, Michaels eyes slowly cracked open, causing Natsuki to focus on him.

"So, do you know what all of this means?" Natsuki questioned as she leaned in closer. "Well." Michael drew in another long breath. "I haven't the slightest idea." The man said as he got up from the chair. "All that time for nothing, huh?" Natsuki thought as she shot the man a glare.

Michael walked over to the large rectangular window that was planted behind his desk. He watched over the city like a gargoyle, pondering exactly what all of this could mean. "You told me that you had a strange vision when you activated a supposedly "broken" music box at an antique shop." Michael approached Natsuki with his music box in his left hand.

Natsuki gave a nod in response. "Well then. I say we have a little test." Michael said, stopping short a few feet away from the woman.

"What kind of "test"?" Natsuki asked as she looked into the man's brown eyes. A smirk crept across his face, causing a nervous chill to run up Natsuki's spine. "I'd like you to lay on you back and close your eyes."

Natsuki was a little skeptical about his expression. "What are you planning?" She asked, cocking her right eyebrow. "Come on, trust me. It's not like we're playing docto-…" Michael quickly paused as his glance shifted to the corner of his eyes, then back to Natsuki. "On second thought, I guess we are."

Natsuki winced at the thought. After a moment of silence, Natsuki complied with the man's wishes. After closing her eyes, she heard the winding of an object. "What are you doing?" Natsuki asked, turning her head in the direction of the sound. "Just a little something." Michael said as he finished winding the music box that laid in his hand.

He rested the music box on Natsuki's abdomen and stepped back. A nostalgic tune rang in Natsuki's ears. "This…" Natsuki's eye lids stressed, causing them to twitch. The melody played through he head, as if water was streaming through her brain.

"It's the melody that is Ensei." Michaels voice fused with that of the music.

Natsuki's eyes flashed open, then her upper torso shot up causing the music box to fall onto the ground. "NO! STOP!" The woman buried her head in her knees while she clasped the sides of her head. "Ah. Now we're getting somewhere." Michael smiled as he watched the girl tremble.

"Alright. This sequence of the test is over." Michael picked the music box up off the ground and took the key out causing the music to stop.

"Natsuki, I'm going to need you to relax. Please, lay back down. We're not finished." Michael said as he rested his right hand on her left shoulder. Natsuki flung her left arm towards the man, catching his chin with her elbow.

"No. We're done here, damn it! I don't know what that was, and I don't want to know!" Natsuki jumped up off the sofa and dashed toward the door, only to be stopped by Michael who jumped in front of her.

"You're not going anywhere." Michael gently shoved the girl who was still in her sprint, causing her to fall on her buttocks. Natsuki shot the man a glare, only to receive a glare that was even more scary then Shizuru's. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, whether you like it or not." Michael locked the door and approached Natsuki.

Natsuki braced herself for the worst. Michael slowly reached out with his right hand, offering to help the woman up. "Now then. I believe we still have an appointment to finish." Michael said as he gave the woman a weak smile.

Natsuki looked at the man, then over to her left at the ground. "Fine." She sighed as she took a hold of Michaels hand. After helping her up, Michael walked Natsuki back over to the sofa and sat her down. "Now then," Michael started as he sat down in his leather chair ad clasped his hands together. "What exactly did you see?"

Natsuki drew in a deep breath. "Alright. Well…"

---+---+---

_Natsuki stood in a pitch black room. Soft sobs were heard throughout the room; the sobs of a child. "Who's there?" Natsuki asked as she stared out into the ever lasting darkness. Then, a child appeared in front of her. This child had no characteristics. It was like a doll with not clothes, makeup or hair._

_This child held a music box up in it's hands as it played the sad melody of Ensei. "Why did you do it?" The child asked while tears of blood streamed down from where it's eyes should have been. "Did what? I don't understand."_

"_You know exactly what you did." The child responded with a rough sob. "Tell me, why!?" The child faded in closer to the woman. "Hey, stay back. I don't want any trouble, okay." Natsuki began to back away, but it felt as though she was walking on thin air. "Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?" The child repeated as it drew nearer and nearer to Natsuki._

"_Stay back!" Natsuki demanded, swatting her left hand in the direction of the child. Then something tripped the girl making her collapse onto her back. She landed with a grunt._

_After regaining her composure, Natsuki looked around her and saw many of the same child around her. The woman looked to her left. "Why?" Then to her right. "Why?"._

_Panic began to engulf the woman. "Stop it! Get away!" Natsuki shielded herself behind her arms in protest. Then, Natsuki noticed a little girl in front of here that was not like the other. This one had bluish black hair that was tied into two separate bunches. The little girls back was turned to Natsuki, while she was crouched down._

_The other children had seemed to vanish into thin air. "Hey," Natsuki quickly got back onto her feet. A- are you one of them? She slowly approached the little girl. As she examined her, she noticed she was crouching over a pool of blood. "Oh no!" Natsuki thought._

"_Hey, are you okay!? Did those things hurt you?" Natsuki crouched down at the girls side and shook her left shoulder. Slowly, the little girl turned her head to Natsuki. "What the?" Natsuki looked down and saw the little girl was holding a kitchen knife that was covered in blood. She looked back and saw the horrified expression that was plastered on the little girls face._

_Natsuki wanted to say something, but for some reason, she wasn't able to form words. The little girl looked out into the darkness in front of them. Natsuki followed her gaze onto a figure that laid on the floor. Natsuki's eyes widened as she stared at the figure. "No… It can't be." Tears streamed down her face as she fell back onto her rear._

"_Why did you do it?" The little girl questioned, not looking back at the woman. Natsuki clutched the sides of her skull and with a deep breath, she let out a scream of terror that echoed throughout the darkness._

---+---+---

An eerie atmosphere lingered in the room; both Natsuki and Michael sat quietly. With the clearing of his throat, Michael broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Well, that sounds like the second time you had an encounter with that child." Michael leaned back in his chair while he thought over everything. "All of that in such short amount of time. Truly remarkable, the human brain that is." The man combed over.

Natsuki ran her left hand up her right arm. "Everything seems even more out of place then before." The woman drew a breath, then shakily exhaled. "Do you have any idea who that child was?" Michael asked with a simple tone of voice. Natsuki looked up at Michael, then down to the floor. "Yeah."

Michael gave the girl a skeptical look, then smiled. "Good. Then you should know exactly what's going on, no?"

The question buzzed around in Natsuki's head like a bee was trapped in her skull. "I feel like…" Natsuki paused for a short while. "I feel kind of like I'm supposed to be remembering something important, and it revolves around that music box." Natsuki bit down onto her right thumb nail and tightly shut her eye lids.

"But what is it?" Natsuki hissed. "Hey, Natsuki. That's enough. You don't need to force it." Michael leaned over and touched her right shoulder. "Just give it some time. You'll remember eventually."

Natsuki glanced over at Michael, then chuckled. "Yeah, I guess your right."

Just then, there was a loud beeping noise coming from Michael's wrist. "Oh, I guess that's the bell. Time's up, you can go home now." Michael got up from the chair then walked over to his desk. Natsuki got up from the sofa and stretched her back out.

"Here." Natsuki looked over and saw Michael holding out his music box towards her. "Take it. You never know, maybe you'll be able to figure out everything if you listen to this for awhile." Natsuki stared at the object, then looked back up to Michael. "You sure?"

Michael just nodded in response. "I don't really need it anyway. Just make sure you don't brake it on me." After that, Natsuki took the music box and the winding key from Michael and headed for the door. "Oh, and Natsuki," Natsuki heard Michael call her as she gripped the knob of the door. "Yeah?" She asked as she turned back towards the man.

"Don't go losing yourself. I know how those nasty dreams can effect people." Michael gave the woman a "matter-of-fact" look. Natsuki just gave Michael a simple nod and walked out the door. "Be careful." Michael turned started back towards his desk.

---+---+---

Natsuki arrived at her apartment door after thirty minutes of waiting in traffic and gave a loud groan of exhaustion. "Who knew being examined could drain this much energy."

Natsuki unlocked the door and walked in, closing the door behind her. After taking her shoes off, she walked into the living room and collapsed onto the couch. "Gah." Natsuki felt something stick her in her left side. She remembered that she stuck the music box and it's key the left pocket of her hoody.

Taking the objects out of her hoody, Natsuki sat up strait and set the music box onto the coffee table the stood in front of the couch. "The melody of Ensei. It sounds so familiar, yet I don't remember where I originally heard it from." Natsuki stared at the box. "Think, damn you." Natsuki furrowed her brow and massaged her temples with her index and middle fingers.

After a few minutes of thinking, Natsuki gave up. She kept coming up with blanks every time she tried. Leaning back into the couch, Natsuki stared at the ceiling. "What am I gonna do? So many thoughts, not enough answers." Natsuki hid her face in the palms of her hands. "That little girl. The bloody knife. Did I-…" Just then, Natsuki heard someone come in through the door.

"Shizuru?" Natsuki watched as Shizuru fumbled with her shoes, trying to get them off. The chestnut headed woman glanced over towards Natsuki. "Ah, you're done already? I thought I would be off work and home before you were done." Shizuru finished removing her shoes then walked over to Natsuki.

After sitting down on the sofa, Shizuru's sight focused on the music box that laid on the table in front of them. "What's this?" Shizuru asked as she reached out for the item. "It's a music box that the doctor gave me. It's supposed to help me solve this little problem of mine." Natsuki answered as she watched Shizuru examine the relic.

"Hmm? How is that?" Shizuru asked with a puzzled look, still examining the box.

Natsuki sat there silent for a moment looking towards the ground, not quite sure how to answer her question correctly. "Well, I think the melody of that music box is tied to my past somehow. The only problem is that I-" Natsuki was interrupted when she heard something collide with the hardwood floor.

"Oi, Shizuru! Careful." Natsuki shot a demanding glare over to her girl friend. "Shizuru held her hands up in a defensive and playful manner. "Sorry, Natsuki."

"That thing has to return to it's owner in one piece. God only knows how much it's worth." Natsuki lectured Shizuru as she reached down and picked the box up off of the floor. "Here." Natsuki looked over and noticed Shizuru holding the winding key to the music box. "Why don't you wined it up? I'm curious to hear this little melody." Shizuru finished with a warm smile.

Natsuki sighed, but then took the key from Shizuru's hand. "Fine, but don't expect it to be anything special." Natsuki said with a distasteful tone.

After winding the box, Natsuki sat it down on the table and let the tune flow throughout the living room. Shizuru closed her eyes and listened closely to the sad melody, while Natsuki sat and watched the key slowly turn in it's hole.

"I don't get it." Natsuki thought out loud. "Don't get what?" Shizuru asked, looking over at Natsuki. "Oh, nothing, it's just that," Natsuki paused as she prepared her explanation. "You remember when we were at that antique shop? You know, the one that Nao works at." Natsuki looked over at Shizuru.

"Oh, yes. I remember quite clearly. Nao-han has become quite responsible, neh?" Shizuru let out a small giggle. "This isn't about Nao, Shizuru." Natsuki said then looked back over at the box. "When we were there, I went down into a room that had all of these unpolished antiques. There, I found a music box that played the exact same melody as this one."

Shizuru cocked her left brow in interest. "After hearing the melody, something strange happened. The room began to warp and deteriorate. Then, something felt like it was trying to force itself out of me. Oh god, what was it!?" Natsuki pulled at a few locks of hair on the sides of her head in frustration. "Natsuki, calm down." Shizuru reached over and gently gripped the other woman's right shoulder.

Natsuki looked over at Shizuru's concerned expression, then drew in a deep breath. "You're right, I'm sorry." Natsuki relaxed herself, then focused her sight down towards her lap. "It's almost as if it were a blur. It was there, clear as day, yet I can't clearly remember what it was. Like I was trying to remember something very important, and I feel it has something to do with this melody." Natsuki glanced over towards the music box once more.

Natsuki sighed, then leaned back further into the couch. She arched her head back over the couch and rested the backside of her left hand onto her forehead. "The scary part is that the music box was supposedly broken, yet I heard that song so clearly."

Natsuki felt a pair of hands gently grasp her right hand, then glanced over at Shizuru. "Natsuki, you've been going through a lot lately. Try not to strain yourself to hard on this matter. When the time comes, you'll remember." Shizuru leaned in and planted her lips firmly on Natsuki's. After a few moments, they broke apart.

Natsuki grasped Shizuru's hands with her own, enjoying the warm sensation that they delivered. "Yeah, that's what Michael said." The woman chuckled.

"Oh, and what about the good doctor? What did the two of you learn in your study session?" Shizuru moved in closer. "Well, it's kind of a long story, but here it goes."

About a half and hour past by while Natsuki continued to explain what happened at Michael's office. "Hmm, I see." Shizuru remarked as she looked in the other direction. "So, that little girl is you, right?" Shizuru asked quizzically. Natsuki nodded in response to the woman's question. "At least, I think it is. When I saw her face, she looked like me when I was really young."

Natsuki looked over to a bookcase the sat in the corner to their left. On one of the shelves, there was a picture. In this picture was Natsuki's mother, her dog Duran, and herself. "And from the sounds of it, you must have done something terrible to someone." Shizuru said with a hesitant voice. "Mhmm." Natsuki nodded without even turning back to the other woman.

An uncomfortable silence feel upon both of the woman. Minutes passed by as they just sat in the silence. "Well, it really doesn't matter to me either way, really." Shizuru said, breaking the silence. Natsuki was taken aback slightly by Shizuru's sudden choice of words. "I mean, even if you did murder someone, it really doesn't matter to me. You're no different in my eyes, Natsuki." Shizuru gave a reassuring smile to Natsuki.

Natsuki looked over at the other woman, then chuckled. "Thanks, Shizuru." Natsuki wrapped her arms around Shizuru, drawing both the woman closer. They both savored the warmth of one another's body, enjoying every last second. It was times like these that Shizuru really didn't want to let go of Natsuki.

Suddenly, there was a loud grumbling noise. Both the girls broke free from the hug. "I, uh, didn't really have any lunch yet." Natsuki said, scratching the back of her head. Both of the woman looked over to a clock that hung from the wall next to the bookcase. The clock read "4:38 PM".

"It's already THAT late?" Natsuki asked with a furrowed brow. "I guess time flies when your solving problems, neh?" Shizuru said with a hum. "I think I'll whip us up an early dinner." Shizuru got up from the couch and waked into their kitchenette. Natsuki watched as Shizuru began pulling out utensils and cook ware.

Natsuki's expression saddened. She looked out of the corner off her eye at the music box. The woman didn't even realize it stopped. "But, if it's true, then who?" Natsuki asked herself as she looked over at the picture on the bookcase.

---+---+---

**A/N**: Hit the breaks! You're at a cliff. I hope this chapter answered a question or two, as well as create a few. Please, tell me what you think. Anyway, I would also like to apologize for not updating sooner. It's just that the whole writing spirit died out on me there for awhile. But I'm back and kicking! I'll get on the next chapter right away!.

P.S. I would also like to apologize if there are any grammar/spelling errors that I missed. I guess I'll get a beta reader here before I start updating everything else. I would also like to poiont out that I have revised the summary for this story. If you wish, could you possibly tell me if this sounds like an interesting summary? I'm not very good at writing them. :P


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